Chapter 117 Shade (1/2)

CHAPTER 117

SHADE

There was a drumming silence encapsulating a small, riverside, star-shaped fort. As the silver moon hung above, casting its rays over the gray walls, those few patrolmen who ought to be paying attention to the surroundings were snoring happily with emptied bottles in their hands.

The fort itself was called Lunar Fort, one of numerous forts alongside the border between the Divine Dynasty and the Demonic Battlefield, situated at the very edge of the desert separating the two, with only a river's worth of distance before crossing over into the bordered territory of the Divine Dynasty. It was also one of the most manned ones and had experienced the most skirmishes over the years, turning many-a-soldier stationed here into a veteran.

However, as number of attacks decreased exponentially in the past month since Empress Evelyn's ascension to the throne, security had gotten lax. It was also on this very night that a shadow nimbly scaled the five-meters tall walls of the fort without making even the faintest of sounds. Heaving over the extruded edge, the shadow landed on the wall yet didn't pause, instead immediately leaping over and beginning to scale down its other end, quickly entering the compound itself.

It didn't contain many buildings as the fort was primarily focused on frontline defending, meaning there were no civilians present and was entirely composed of soldiers. Besides the largest building - barracks - there was a smithy, warehouse and separate armory. The shadow ignored the latter three and raced toward the barracks, a three-story building made of tinted brick and concrete, windowed ten times per floor.

Rather than going toward the entrance, the shadow once again began scaling the stone and reached roof in a matter of a few moments, bolting toward the chimney and jumping in without any hesitation. Though inside was pitch black, it seemed as the shadow knew the course by heart, navigating somewhat complex route which connected a single chimney to all fireplaces in the barracks.

The room of choice was slightly different than others, particularly with the fact that it was twice the size, slightly decorated and housed only a single person. The shadow landed onto the wooden floor yet again without making the sound whereupon its edgeless features molded into a person wearing body-tight, linen clothes and a mask covering everything but starkly black eyes.

Those very same eyes quickly scouted the room until they found the bed rammed into the corner and a man sleeping atop of it. Approaching silently, the figure withdrew a barely discernible needle from seemingly nowhere, firing off at the man on the bed from a few meters, precisely hitting the latter's neck. The man's body contorted for a moment, indulging in a few bouts of spasms, before returning to its former tranquility, as though nothing happened.

The figure walked over to the bed and picked the man off of it, heaving the latter over its shoulder before once again retreating to the fireplace, beginning to scale the chimney, reaching the roof and, as though it was never there, quickly disappearing into the night outside the fort itself.

The figure once again turned into an edgeless shadow, morphing the man into it as well, and bolted southward, into the lands of Divine Dynasty. It ran through the night without making a sound for nearly an hour before reaching a small shack seemingly in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by nothing but thick, leafless trees.

Reflecting its exterior, the shack's interior was plain and simple, with only a single chair present of the furniture and absolutely nothing else. The shadow once again morphed into a figure as it lay the man down onto the floor before withdrawing the mask from its face. Behind was a face of a defiantly beautiful, yet tepid frigidity best reflected in the woman's eyes. Her hair was short, boyish in design, black as night in hue.

She quickly sat down onto the chair and crossed her legs as another needle appeared in her hand, which she also threw at the man. The latter shook for a moment as his eyes opened; he cried out as he tried to move, yet all he could do is look around with his eyes. The entirety of his body was strangely paralyzed to the point where he couldn't even call upon Qi in his meridians. He immediately realized something was wrong, especially so once his eyes landed on the woman sitting in front of him.

”... what the fuck?” he mumbled meekly. ”Who are you?”

”You should have been delivered a letter these past few days,” instead of replying to his question, woman asked one of her own. ”Can you give it to me?”

”I asked you a question.”

”I believe its source is the 'Mortal Council' as you morons call them,” the woman said, her voice cold and indifferent. ”Again, I'd very much like to see its contents.”

”... ha ha ha, you're fucking insane.” the man burst out into a short, sporadic laughter. ”Do you even know who I am you bitch?!”

”... are you worthwhile me losing valuable time remembering your name?” the woman asked right back, seemingly with honesty bereft of filth. ”I'd wager no, as I have no clue as to who you are besides being the highest-ranked person in that fort. I do not like to indulge in conversations; if you'd kindly give me the letter, I can make all of this quick. If not, just say so.”

”... of course I won't, you moronic whore. Just wait till I get my hands on you--”